Archive for April, 2008

Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii – Italy

See also: International Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii

King Umberto I of Italy personally signed a one-page letter in Italian to President Dole dated September 23, 1894, recognizing the Republic of Hawaii. Two-page translation into English, translation certified as accurate by the consul of Italy in Honolulu on October 6, 1894 with seal of consulate next to his signature.

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Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii – Guatemala

See also: International Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii

Jose Maria Reina Barrios, President of the Constitutional Republic of Guatemala, personally signed a two-page letter to President Sanford Dole on September 30, 1894, recognizing the Republic of Hawaii.

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Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii – Germany/Prussia

See also: International Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii

Kaiser Wilhelm, Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia, personally signed a two-page letter to President Sanford Dole, dated October 4, 1894, recognizing the Republic of Hawaii. There is a two-page English translation. The German foreign minister wrote a one-page cover letter to Hawaiian Minister of Foreign Affairs Francis M. Hatch.
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Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii – France

See also: International Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii

Casimir Perier, President of the Republic of France, sent a personally signed two-page letter to President Sanford Dole dated August 31, 1894, recognizing the Republic of Hawaii. The letter is in French and there is no translation.

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Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii – China

See also: International Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii

This is the original letter sent by Princes Kung (now spelled Gong) and Ching (now spelled Qing) on behalf of Kuangsu (now spelled Guangxu), the Emperor of China, sent on October 22, 1894 to President Sanford B. Dole, recognizing the Republic of Hawaii. Interestingly, the name on the envelope refers to Dole as Prince of the Kingdom, although the letter itself refers to Dole as President.

The Chinese-style date (reign date) appearing in the Mandarin language and its English translation is the 14th day of the 8th month of the 20th year of the reign of Emperor Kuangsu. The English-language translator at that time wrote that that date was September 12, 1894. Thus the letter from Hawaii requesting recognition was received in China on September 12 and was answered on October 22. During that period China was engaged in the first Sino-Japanese war, which Japan won, forcing China to give Korea to Japan and also to pay a large indemnity. Despite being embroiled in a disastrous war, the government of China apparently considered Hawaii sufficiently important that it made time to send a letter to Sanford B. Dole granting diplomatic recognition to the Republic of Hawaii (although it took six weeks to do so). Read the rest of this entry »

Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii – Chile

See also: International Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii

On September 26, 1894 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Chile sent a two-page letter on behalf of his government to President Sanford B. Dole, recognizing the Republic of Hawaii. The letter, in Spanish, was received in Honolulu on December 12. There is no English translation.

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Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii – Britain

See also: International Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii

Queen Victoria of Britain personally signed a two-page letter to President Sanford Dole, dated September 19, 1894, recognizing the Republic of Hawaii. She signed the letter “Your good friend” Victoria. The photographs show the original of that letter.

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Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii – Brazil

See also: International Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii

The President of the Republic of the United States of Brazil sent a letter on September 29, 1894 to President Dole, written in Portuguese, recognizing the Republic. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil sent an accompanying cover letter to Hawaii’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Francis M. Hatch. No English translations have survived.

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Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii – Belgium

See also: International Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii

King Leopold II of Belgium personally signed a letter to President Dole dated October 20, 1894, recognizing the Republic of Hawaii. His Minister of Foreign Affairs also wrote an accompanying cover letter to his Hawaiian counterpart. Both letters are in French and there is no translation.

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Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii – Austro-Hungary

See also: International Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii

Francis Joseph the First, Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, and Apostolic King of Hungary, personally signed a letter dated January 1, 1895, written in Latin, to President Sanford B. Dole, recognizing the Republic of Hawaii. This is the remnant of the once-powerful Austro-Hungarian Empire, still using Latin for formal diplomatic proclamations.

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